Why do they call them Southpaws?

A student asked me this morning why a boxer with their right foot forward is called a "Southpaw." You'll be surprised to know that the word southpaw never originated from boxing. In fact, it's a baseball term.

In the United States, baseball fields are typically designed so that the batter is facing east, so that the evening sun is not in his eyes. The Hawkes stadium in Boise, Idaho is actually facing northeast. Nonetheless, the batters eyes are always facing away from the sun.

Most pitchers are right handed, subsequently making the right arm on the north side. So, it was coined many years ago, that a left handed pitcher is a southpaw. The person that coined the name was Chicago based author- Finley Peter Dunne.

Respectfully,

Duncan Richardson
www.BodiesInMotionIdaho.com